With diabetes on the rise, health organizations throughout the country encouraged residents to get screened, to maintain a healthful lifestyle and to wear blue on World Diabetes Day, which was Wednesday.

Health representatives from University Medical Center, Project Vida and the El Paso Diabetes Association provided shoppers information about the disease. Zumba and samba lessons and yoga sessions were also provided.

Elba Castillo said she and her sister were shopping when they saw the health screening booth by Project Vida.

REPORTER

Alex Hinojosa

"I've been diagnosed for a few years now," Castillo said "But I went three to four years after I was diagnosed without feeling any of the symptoms. I think that everyone who is 20 and above needs to get checked annually because diabetes is preventable."

Since her diagnosis, Castillo said, she exercises, maintains a healthful diet and monitors her glucose and cholesterol levels.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin, a hormone that enables cells to take glucose from the blood and use it for energy, or when the body can't use the insulin it produces effectively, according to the International Diabetes Federation.

It causes raised glucose levels and can damage the body and cause organs to fail.

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According to the International Diabetes Federation, 1 in 10 adults in the United States has diabetes.

In El Paso County, about 85,000 residents have diabetes, and thousands more cases are still undiagnosed, said Dr. Jose Luna of the Centro San Vicente Health Center. "In fact, one in four patients that walk into the clinic are diagnosed with diabetes," he said.

In addition, there are several types of diabetes including Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Type 1 diabetes tends to be genetic and the body can't make insulin. People diagnosed with Type 1 must take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes, which is the most prevalent type diagnosed in El Paso, can be caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.

Gestational diabetes occurs when a woman has high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. and it usually disappears during or after the pregnancy. However, the women and their children have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

In El Paso, all three types of diabetes are on the rise, said Henry Brutus, CEO of the El Paso Diabetes Association.

"And we don't know why," he said. "We don't have enough information."

The disease can lead to other complications, Luna said.

About 70 percent of people who have diabetes are going to have problems with their heart. And the patients who don't take care of themselves are also two to four times as likely to die of cardiac problems, and two times as likely to have a stroke.

"Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure," Luna said. "So if you want to go into dialysis, then don't attend to yourself because diabetes does not forgive."

There are ways to prevent and control Type 2 diabetes by living a healthful lifestyle.

"Once you are diagnosed, you will always be diabetic," Brutus said. "However, if you practice and change your life style, start eating healthy and portion your food and exercise on a regular basis, your blood glucose levels will stabilize and in some cases you may not need medication."

Alex Hinojosamay be reached at ahinojosa@elpasotimes.com; 546-6137.

Symptoms

Frequent urination.

Constant hunger or thirst.

Blurred vision.

Fatigue.

Hands or feet that tingle or feel numb.

Cuts or bruises that heal slowly.

Dried mouth or dry skin.

Weight loss.

Stomach pain or vomiting, which can be mistaken for the flu.

For more information, contact the El Paso Diabetes Association at 532-6280 or epdiabetes.org

Sources: International Diabetes Federation and the Texas Diabetes Council.